Several methods for making mesitylene from acetone are known and include, for example:
liquid phase condensation in the presence of strong acids, e.g. sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,267,165 (1966).
vapor phase condensation with tantalum containing catalysts as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,917,561 (1959).
vapor phase condensation using as catalyst the phosphates of the metals of group IV of the periodic system of elements, e.g. titanium, zirconium, hafnium and tin as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,079 (1976).
vapor phase reaction in the presence of molecular hydrogen and a catalyst selected from the group consisting of alumina containing catalytic amounts of chromia and boria and silica-alumina containing catalytic amounts of chromia and zinc oxide as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,201,485 (1965).
vapor phase reaction using catalysts containing molybdenum as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,301,912 (1967) or tungsten as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,425,096.
Most of the common acidic materials tested (zeolites, silico-alumina and modified alumina) deactivate very fast and produce large amounts of isobutene and acetic acid from the cracking reaction of mesityl oxide or diacetonealcohol.